The Discarded
by Sparks
Summary: Several days after the events of 'School Reunion', Sarah goes to see an old friend.


Title: The Discarded

Rating: K+

Notes: I cried during 'School Reunion'. And this just popped into my head, and I had to write it. I had to let Sarah have an outlet somewhere. Spoilers for 'School Reunion', obviously, and reference to the Doctor's third and fourth incarnations.

* * *

"I saw the Doctor three days ago."

The Brigadier's hand shook. The tea in his cup spilled into his saucer and his fingers, and he stared at Sarah, mouth open.

"The Doctor?" he said in an incredulous murmur. "Good Lord." He reached out for a napkin and dried the tea from his hand. "Which one?"

"He said it had been half a dozen regenerations since I last saw him," Sarah said with a faint, slightly bitter smile. "So I suppose it was the tenth." She sipped her tea, keeping her eyes away from Alistair's. "He has a new assistant – well, two now. He's…he looks wonderful."

Something in her voice made Alistair look very hard at her. He opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind and drank some tea.

"It was just like old times," Sarah continued after a moment. "All those years ago…I was writing an article about a school in London, and – "

"You were poking around," Alistair put in. Sarah gave a sheepish smile.

"Well, yes. But the Doctor was there. I didn't know him at first, but then I saw the TARDIS, and…"

The Brigadier put down his cup and reached out to take her hand. "Sarah."

"He built a new K-9," she said, visibly struggling against tears. "My one…he fixed it, but he was destroyed, saving the school…"

She wasn't making much sense, but she didn't need to make sense to Alistair. Ever since she had returned to Earth and had contacted the Brigadier, they had been good friends. They met, every once in a while, to talk about the 'good old days'. The Brigadier had heard more of Sarah's innermost feelings than anyone else.

"He is a kind person," Alistair nodded. "K-9 was your friend for years."

"Yes." Sarah put her cup down. "I know it's silly, he is only a robot, but…"

"But he is your connection to the Doctor," he said gently. She nodded and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to try to combat the coming tears. "Did he say goodbye this time?"

"Yes." She cleared her throat. "Yes, he did. I made him." She gave a faint smile. "He wasn't going to. Well, you know the Doctor."

"I do indeed," Alistair smiled. "Always moving on."

"He was…" She trailed off, and now the tears came. "He said he was the only one left, that everyone else died – that the Time Lords were gone. And he said he was proud of me – not in so many words, but he was. He asked me to go with him, and he needed my help, and he was there again, my Doctor. Only he isn't my Doctor anymore, he has Rose, and he's going to break her heart just like he broke mine because he never stays." She grabbed a napkin off the table and wiped at her eyes, with little effect. "It was just the same as always…the Doctor is just the same. Oh, he's different, of course, but in so many ways it was just like when I was young, and we travelled around…" She laughed through her tears. "When I saw the TARDIS, I thought I must be going mad."

"Oh, Sarah." Alistair squeezed her hand lightly. "We're all mad when it comes to the Doctor."

She smiled wanly at him. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She blew her nose and wiped her eyes. The tears had gone; she was calm and capable Sarah Jane Smith again. "Anyway, I couldn't have gone with him. I'm far too old – there's a lot of running involved in being the Doctor's companion! I'm not as young as I was then. And he has Rose, and Mickey."

"You'll have to tell me about them sometime," Alistair said gently. He could see through her façade, but he didn't say anything – he would never dream of it. "So tell me, what does this Doctor look like?"

"Oh! He's young. Looks about thirtyish, I should think," Sarah said with a bright smile. "He has the most delightful coat. He has his own style, as always."

"He's a remarkable fellow."

"Oh, he is." She wiped at her eye. "Do you know, he'd no idea that he'd left me in Aberdeen? He never could steer the TARDIS."

"No." The Brigadier smiled, remembering occasions when the TARDIS had gone wildly off course. "How very typical of him." He released Sarah's hand and lifted his tea cup once more. "I suppose he's off gallivanting about the universe again, then?"

"Yes." She sipped her own tea. "I think he'll be returning to this time, though; according to Mickey, they return quite often. Do you remember that fuss at Downing Street last year? The Doctor was in the thick of that. And on the spaceship at Christmas."

"Well, we thought he was," the Brigadier nodded. "It's his sort of thing, after all."

"His sort of thing." Sarah gave a sad smile. "He leaves people behind, Alistair. He finds a new model, someone else to trail after him, someone else to hurt. He doesn't mean to, but he does." She finished her tea and reached for her bag. "I must go, I've got to finish that article for the Times. It's become much more sensational now the school has been blown up!"

She left with a hug and a fake smile; the Brigadier watched her go with sadness on his face. He wished, as he had wished so many times over the past thirty-odd years, that he had never allowed Miss Sarah Jane Smith, journalist, to work with the Doctor for that time at UNIT.

He knew it was not his fault. But some wounds ran too deep to heal, and despite her brief encounter with the Doctor, Alistair knew that Sarah would never find happiness.

* * *

Comments appreciated. 


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